Category: Speeches

Lord Blencathra – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Blencathra on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the paper presented to members of the Ethical Medicines Industry Group on 5 September, stating that new drugs and treatments can be made available to UK patients more quickly once the UK has left the EU; and what preparations they are making to ensure that the UK can more rapidly approve medicines once the UK has left the EU.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Nothing will change overnight as a result of the European Union referendum decision.

The United Kingdom remains a member of the EU until Article 50 negotiations have concluded. EU law continues to apply and ongoing compliance with EU law is considered important in facilitating orderly transition, for negotiating purposes, and to offer certainty in the meantime. As long as the UK is subject to EU law, the present arrangements remain in place.

01/01/2023
Barry Sheerman – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the value to tourism and to the national economy of the UK coastline.

Tracey Crouch

There were more than 23 million overnight visits to the English, Scottish and Welsh seaside by GB residents in 2014, which resulted in spending of £4.9 billion, according to the Great Britain Tourism Survey. Additionally, therewere 144 million day visits by GB residents where the seaside was the main place visited in 2014 which resulted in spending of almost £5 billion.

01/01/2023
Maria Eagle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Eagle on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type (a) 45 Destroyers and (b) 23 Frigates will be used to host training programmes for Royal Navy personnel in 2015-16.

Penny Mordaunt

Training programmes for Royal Navy personnel are delivered on all Royal Navy ships and submarines as part of the unit’s generation and operation cycles, throughout individuals’ careers. We currently have six Type 45 Destroyers and 13 Type 23 Frigates in service.

01/01/2023
Rehman Chishti – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rehman Chishti on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military pilots have sought medical assistance and been stood down after a laser pen attack.

Mark Lancaster

Data on military aircrew seeking medical assistance or being stood down from flying following a laser pen incident is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

01/01/2023
Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his Nigerian counterpart international assistance that can be provided to that country to tackle Boko Haram during 2016.

James Duddridge

We regularly talk to our Nigerian counterparts, at the highest levels, about UK assistance to Nigeria to help them tackle Boko Haram. I raised this with the Nigerian Foreign Minister earlier this month at the African Union summit. This week the Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St John’s returned from Nigeria where she met Nigerian ministers and reiterated the UK’s support to Nigeria in combating Boko Haram.

We are providing a substantial and increasing package of intelligence, military and development support to Nigeria. This includes training and advice on counter-insurgency. Almost 1000 Nigerian military personnel have benefited from UK training to prepare them for counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria and up to 300 UK military personnel are expected to provide training to the Nigerian Armed Forces this year (2016). We have also provided £5m to support a regional taskforce against the group and are also providing £6.7m humanitarian assistance for Nigeria to support those affected by the Boko Haram conflict.

01/01/2023
Royston Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Royston Smith on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ensure that (a) training and (b) emotional support is given to carers who work in residential homes.

Alistair Burt

Improving the capability of the care workforce through continued skills development is a vital investment in the future. This applies to the workforce as a whole but is particularly important for those working in residential homes.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of employers to ensure their staff are suitably trained and appropriately supported to undertake the roles for which they are employed.

The Department is working closely with our delivery partners to support employers in improving the level of skills of the workforce and is spending significant levels of funding to support this work.

The introduction of the Care Certificate is delivering specific standards for the training of new care workers.

01/01/2023
Baroness Wolf of Dulwich – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Wolf of Dulwich on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many training providers in receipt of Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funding ceased trading in (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14; how much funding those providers had received from the SFA in the three years prior to their ceasing to trade; and how many of them were further education colleges.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Skills Funding Agency does not hold not information on providers which have ceased trading.

01/01/2023
John Baron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s news story of 13 September 2015, From 2020 people with suspected cancer will be diagnosed faster, when his Department plans to make tailored recovery packages available for cancer patients, including those with rarer cancers.

Jane Ellison

In its report Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020 (July 2015), the independent Cancer Taskforce called for an acceleration of the commissioning and provision of services to support people affected by cancer to live as healthy and as happy lives as possible. Over the last few years, NHS England has been working with Macmillan Cancer Support to roll out the Recovery Package, which describes a set of actions that ensure that the individual needs of all people going through cancer treatment and beyond, including rare cancers, are met by tailored support and services. By working through a Recovery Package, patients and clinicians assess patients’ holistic needs and plan appropriately for their care and support, they ensure that a treatment summary is sent between a patient’s hospital and their general practitioner (GP), that they are appropriately followed up by their GP, and can attend health and wellbeing events for patients and carers.

In September 2015, the Department announced that by 2020, the 280,000 people diagnosed with cancer every year will benefit from a tailored recovery package. In April 2016, NHS England published guidance on the commissioning of these services to support people living with and beyond cancer, and will continue to support both Sustainability and Transformation Plan footprints and clinical commissioning groups to put this guidance into action.

01/01/2023

Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-07-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents there have been of women detained at Yarl’s Wood being handcuffed while attending hospital.

James Brokenshire

Home Office policy remains that there should be a presumption against using handcuffs to escort detainees for medical visits. The decision to use handcuffs is made on the basis of an individual risk assessment, and we monitor the use of restraint by custody officers closely to ensure that the use of restraint is reasonable, necessary and proportionate.

Management information shows that from May 2015 to May 2016 there have been 31 incidents when a woman has been handcuffed when attending hospital from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre.

Month	Incidents of handcuff use
May 2015	0
June 2015	0
July 2015	0
August 2015	0
September 2015	1
October 2015	6
November 2015	6
December 2015	4
January 2016	5
February 2016	5
March 2016	1
April 2016	3
May 2016	0

This is provisional management information that is subject to change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics:

01/01/2023

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale on 2016-09-12.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations took place with the Scottish Government in advance of the announcement of the pilot study on post-study work visas in July.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

We have been in correspondence with the Scottish Government concerning the Tier 4 visa pilot. There is no pilot study currently being conducted into post-study work visas.

The Tier 4 visa pilot is part of the Home Office’s continued efforts to ensure that the UK maintains an excellent offer to attract the brightest and best to study at our world-leading institutions. The pilot is deliberately narrow in scope, with the institutions selected on the basis of their consistently low level of visa refusals. Its main aim is to test the benefits of a differentiated approach within Tier 4, whilst ensuring any changes do not undermine the robust application of immigration requirements.

The pilot helps simplify the visa application process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. Whilst it will also help to support students who wish to switch into a work route by extending the leave period following the end of their study to up to six months, it does not make any changes to the Tier 2 visa route and is not a return to the post-study work visa route.

The four selected institutions were consulted regarding its implementation. Should the pilot be successful, the Home Office will consult key stakeholders about its possible expansion.

01/01/2023